Look Down
by Luthien Luinwe
Summary: AU. After being imprisoned for twenty years for a minor crime, L Lawliet has changed his life. He made a vow to raise a woman's child, and he intends to keep it. But he must constantly evade the ruthless Inspector Light Yagami, or face imprisonment once again. And in a world and a time where anything that can go wrong will, will he be able to keep his vow?
1. Chapter 1

**So I _should _be focused on finishing No One Mourns the Wicked, but the plot bunnies have attacked. This story will be heavilly based on Les Miserables. So as a warning, this will include language, prostitution, character death, suicide, and a revolution. I do not own Death Note, nor do I own Les Miserables.**

The mines underneath the city streets of the Aomori province of Japan were not happy places to be. All throughout them was a sense of death and despair. Not a shred of happiness could be spared to help those unfortunate enough to have been sent there. Some had been there for as little as a day. Others, such as L Lawliet, had been there for as long as twenty years. Those were the unfortunate ones. The lucky ones died before they could realize the hell they lived in.

But on that day, that hell would end for L. He had served his time, and how unfair it was that he had been forced to. The crime he committed, if one could call it that, was a minor one. And he had only done it in order to save the life of another. Whether that individual still lived or not, he did not know, he had no way of knowing it. The crime itself had only caused a five year sentence, but he had tried to run. It was the attempt to run that had added the extra fifteen years to his sentence. And instead of serving his time in a jail, he was forced into a pseudo-slavery position, where he remained. Yes, the industrial revolution in Japan had most definitely not been pleasant.

L looked up in hatred at the man responsible for working himself and the other convicts to the bone. He stood proudly with an expression that clearly showed he had known no hardships such as the men he was in charge of. But this would be the last time L would have to see him, so he supposed. "Bring me L," the man said. L was roughly dragged over to the man before him. "Your time has up. Your parole may now begin," he said as he handed L a paper that would forever and always signify that he was a 'dangerous' criminal. "And I warn you to never forget me. It is more than likely that our paths will cross again."

"I couldn't forget you if I tried," L said coldly as he took the paper that signified both his freedom and his eternal suffering. "Light Yagami." With that, the young man left the mine, cringing at his first glimpse of sunlight in what felt like years.

Finally, freedom was his. He no longer felt the claustrophobia he had so often experienced when working below ground. He would no longer hear the cries of anguish from fellow convicts on their deathbeds. He would never again have to see bodies being carried away, the faces of men who had been completely broken, or the cruel sneers and looks given by those in the positions of authority.

Finding work had proven to be more difficult than L had anticipated. Everywhere he went, he was forced to show the paper that marked him as a man who had been confined for unlawful doing. When he had finally acquired a position, he was treated as if he weren't worth the dirt on his coworkers' shoes. He had received less than half of what they were paid, and was eventually forced to leave.

It was after another cold, desolate day, late on one rainy night, that L had come across a kind man by the name of Quillish Wammy, who had asked the young man to call him by the name of Watari. He had noticed L out in the rain, and had come out to invite him in. "Sir," began the older man. "You may stay with me for the night.

L had played the perfect house guest. He thanked the old man and headed off to bed. But fear still consumed him from the inside out, fear that he would end up as he once had been. He couldn't… he wouldn't… let that happen again. What he did was not entirely of his own free will, rather of an instinct for survival. Anything of value that he could find in the room, he shoved into a bag to sell later if he needed to. And in the dark of the night, he had stolen away from Watari's home and made down the street.

But guilt had soon consumed L from the inside out. An immense feeling of remorse flooded his every being. He remembered what Watari had said to him while they were eating. He had said that L had a soul… But how he knew that was beyond the capacity of L's mind. He had trusted, and L had betrayed that trust. He knew that if Watari were to say even one word to the police, he would be back in the mines of Aomori, never to see the light of day again. He needed to make a change, and a quick one.

It was on that day that L Lawliet decided he would no longer be L Lawliet, but Ryuzaki, a law-abiding man that everyone looked up to. He would break his parole by disappearing. For all intents and purposes, L Lawliet would be dead. He would become a man that everyone looked up to. L Lawliet had become nothing. Another story was to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**At The End of the Day**

Industrial age Japan was not a pleasant place to be, especially for the poor. Everywhere, countless people died of starvation while others were worked to death. At the end of the day, the people were another day older, and that was about all you could say for the commoners. Even the mayor, a young man by the name of Ryuzaki, didn't have it all. Lately, though, riots had been happening. He'd finally had to hire a troop of policemen, led by none other than Light Yagami, to keep the peace.

He had also hired a young man by the name of Matsuda to manage the workers in the nearby factory. As it was a factory town, the business fell under Ryuzaki's jurisdiction. He knew working conditions were poor, and he knew the workers were poorer, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

It would be a lie to say that Ryuzaki felt comfortable having Yagami around the town. After all, it was the inspector who had been the cause of so many years of strife for young Ryuzaki, who previously went under the name of L. Life had been good since he'd left Aomori, though. Everything had gone much better than he had expected.

Life for a young woman by the name of Misa could not be said to be the same. She had grown up poor, grown to be poor, and would die poor. She felt happiness at one point in her life, however. She had met a young man. They were in love, or at least she was in love with him. But when he discovered she was pregnant, he had left her. Several months later, she had given birth to a young girl, by the name of Sayu.

However, young Amane had been unable to take care of the girl. As such, she placed her in the care of a couple that ran an inn nearby. The man's name was Rue, and his wife's name was A. All that Misa had to do was pay them to keep up with the child. And lately she had been ill. And she could not afford for her to maintain good health.

Misa was a worker at the factory run by Ryuzaki. She played the part well. She was a good worker, though admittedly a little airheaded. She acted pure and polite and never got into much trouble. Still, though, the other workers had never liked her much, especially Takada.

Takada worked at the station beside Misa's, and she was quick to notice the favoritism displayed to the blonde by the foreman, Mogi. Takada found the blonde to be quite stupid and oblivious. Did she not know that the only reason she was able to keep her job was because Mogi found her attractive? But she'd be out on the street the moment she denied him. That was a fact she was certain about.

And Takada felt a surge of fiendish delight when a letter was delivered to Misa. She ripped it out of Amane's hand and began to read it out loud, despite the protests from her coworker. "Dear Misa, you must send us more money," Takada read aloud in a mocking fashion. "Your child is sick and needs a doctor immediately," she continued before smirking. "Well, well, looks as though you _aren't _the virgin you make yourself out to be."

"Give that back, Takada!" Misa snapped as she reached for the letter. It was to no avail, though. Takada held it out of her reach. Far out of her reach. "Yes it's true that I have a son! He lives with a couple near Nagisaki. What's wrong about that?"

Ryuzaki noticed the argument going on from his observation window above the main factory floor. He walked down the wooden steps and approached the two women. "Calm yourselves," he said. "This is a factory, not a circus. Now what happened?"

Takada quickly explained the situation before Misa could. After hearing of the events, Ryuzaki turned to Mogi. "Take care of this," he sighed before starting to walk away. He really disliked settling disagreements between his workers, and he was willing to throw it onto the manager.

Mogi looked between the girls, a furious expression etched upon his face. "Explain," he said coldly to Takada.

"Well she was the one who started it!" Takada snapped as she shot a glare worthy of Satan himself at Misa. "She's hiding a stupid little kid. She's paying an innkeeper to take care of him, and you can sure as hell bet she isn't getting that money from working here. You can bet anything she's able to keep the kid alive because she is sleeping around!" the dark haired woman snapped. "And we both know that Ryuzaki-sama would not stand for that."

"I should've figured," Mogi said coldly as he looked at Misa. "Yes, the _wonderful _Misa. You play all sweet and innocent, I guess we were all wrong," he smirked.

"And you can be sure she's sleeping around behind your back!" Takada added.

"She'll be nothing but trouble if you let her stay!" another girl, Halle, shouted.

"Fire her or we'll all be begging from the street!" yet another worker, Naomi, screamed.

Mogi had to agree with his underlings. A chain was only as strong as its weakest link, and Misa being around was sure to ruin productivity. "Right then, Amane," he began. There was ice in his tone. "Get out of my sight. I don't want to see you in this factory again!"

Misa wanted to argue, but knew no good would come out of it. She looked up at the observation window to see Ryuzaki turn his back before gathering her things and leaving.

What would she do now? She had no job to support herself, let alone her son… And without any form of money, her son was sure to die. She knew that A and B watched over him, but only because Misa paid them to do so. As soon as she stopped sending money, she knew they would kick Matt out… She was desperate. Desperate enough to do anything. And so she made her way to a place she thought she would never have to step foot into.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the late update guys. And sorry for the mishap in the last chapter. Here's a recap incase you don't want to go back and re-read the first two chapters. L has broken his parole and taken on the alias Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki became the mayor of a small town. Light Yagami, a police inspector, has been assigned to the town and is on the look out for L. Misa was fired from her job, and her daughter, Sayu, is in danger... And that leads us to...**

**Chapter Three**

**Lovely Ladies**

It was out of pure desperation that Misa Amane found herself in the part of town that no self-respecting young woman would ever dare approach. The smell of cheap perfume nearly made her gag. All around her were prostitutes, all in situations similar to hers, she assumed. She wouldn't resort to _that, _though. Unless circumstances became so bad that she had no other choice. At that point, she was willing to do anything to make sure her daughter lived.

Clutching the necklace that had run in her family for generations, Misa hesitantly approached an old crone. "Excuse me," she said quietly, nervous as to how the woman would react. "I'm willing to sell this," she continued as she removed the jewelry piece.

The crone took the necklace and examined it closely. She knew she could buy it cheap. The blonde seemed desperate enough. "I'll give you four," she said with a shrug as she looked Misa over once again.

Misa became angry when she heard that statement. She knew the necklace was worth well more than four yen. "That wouldn't pay for the chain," she said coldly, though her eyes pleaded for the woman to offer her more.

The woman sighed, knowing that Misa wouldn't accept the sum she had offered. "Five. Final offer," she said. The crone could tell that Misa was nearing the edge. Smirking, she handed over the amount when the blonde nodded in exchange for the necklace.

Defeated, Misa approached a man. She knew that five yen wasn't good for anything. She needed far more than that if she was going to save Sayu. "How much for two teeth?" she asked lowly, not wanting to be overheard.

"A fair amount," the man answered vaguely. "And don't worry. It won't hurt… Much."

With even greater hesitation than before, Misa let the man pull two of her teeth. Tears stung her eyes as pain radiated through her mouth. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth and gave her momentary distraction from the sharp, stinging sensation filling her gums. But it was worth it. Still, she wasn't confident that the money she had would be enough to save her daughter.

"Oh my dear," a woman said as she grabbed a handful of the blonde's hair. "Such pretty, pretty hair," she commented as she ran her hand through it.

"Don't touch me!" Misa snapped as she instinctively backed away from the woman. Was it not bad enough that she had sold her necklace and her teeth. She didn't want to do anything more, though she knew she must… "Just go away…"

"Now dearie, is that any way to behave?" the woman questioned as she walked back over to Misa. "How about we make a price? Blonde hair is rare and sure to sell well," she continued. She grinned wickedly when she noticed Misa was thinking it over. "100 yen," she said finally.

Misa nodded wordlessly. What other choice did she have? Money like that just may have been able to save her daughter. Still, she teared up as the woman began to cut her hair off. When all was said and done, Misa's beautiful blonde hair was all but gone from her head. But she had money… But then the thought of future problems began to burden her already heavy mind.

It was at this time that a man was speaking with one of the prostitutes. "Give me the dirt," he said to the girl as he stared over at Misa. "Who's she?" he questioned. He hadn't recalled seeing the blonde around.

"Some good girl," the woman shrugged as she followed the man's gaze. "Sold her hair to save her kid," she added bitterly.

"I might have known," the man said with a sigh. "There's almost always a man involved," he added before walking over to Misa and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Now why don't you join us?"

Misa shook her head furiously at the suggestion. She was willing to do a lot of things to save her daughter, but selling her body was _not _anywhere on that list.

"Now honey," another of the prostitutes said as she wrapped her arm around the blonde. "Why are you so upset about this, huh? You think you're better than us, is it?" she sneered.

"No, that's not it…" Misa began, but was cut off.

"It's easy money," the woman continued. "Just as easy as sleeping…" She smiled when she saw a potential customer walk over. "Go on, sweetie, show him what you've got," she said in an almost challenging way.

Misa took a shaky breath before nodding. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be as bad as she had imagined in her head. But still, she felt uneasy about the whole situation. Hesitantly, she walked over to the man. A captain in the Navy, she noticed. "Come on, then," she said quietly as she took the man's hand and began to lead him away. "Now isn't this better, having a girl who can't say no?" she asked, feeling her nerves increase by the second.

She resisted the urge to hit the man as his hands traveled down her body. After all had been said and done, she felt dirty, used… She regretted having agreed to it. She regretted coming to the place in the first place. _Easy money, _she had to remind herself. _Yet they don't seem to notice the hate… _

In her trance of thought, Misa had not noticed a seedy looking man coming her way. "Something new, I see," he said with a smirk.

Misa had a bad feeling about this man, one that she couldn't quite explain. But there was no way she was going through it again, especially so soon after the last time. "I don't want you," she said softly without looking at the man. "Leave."

"Is this some sort of joke?" the man questioned. "It's not for the whore to say 'yes sir' or 'no sir.' It's not for the harlot to pick or to choose!" he shouted.

Misa felt anger boil inside her. She would not stand to be talked to in that manner, that's for sure. Without much thought on her part, she slapped him as hard as she could. "I'll kill you, you bastard!" she screamed at him. She resisted a smile as she saw blood bubble to the surface of his skin from where her nails had scratched his cheek. "Even a whore won't be had by scum like you!"

The man grinned wickedly when he saw a certain inspector walking around. "Inspector Yagami!" he shouted as the man passed. "I must report a crime!"

"No!" Misa shouted as she tried to stop the man. "Don't! I'll do whatever you want…"

The man pushed her to the side as he began to speak to Light. "Would you believe it, Light?" he asked, trying his best to look afraid. "I got lost, and this woman… She attacked me!" he sounded appalled. "See?" he asked as he raised a hand to his wounded cheek.

"Yes, I do," Light said before looking over at Misa. Pure disgust was written across his features. "And I will see to it that she is taken care of," he assured before walking menacingly over to the blonde.

"No," Misa said as she shook her head. "Please no! I have a child!" she shouted. Despair was evident in her tone. "I have a child who needs me! Please! If you arrest me…" she trailed off, knowing that if she were to be imprisoned, her child would be left for dead.

"Save it," Light said coldly. "If you really cared about your child, you would be making money in an honest fashion."

Misa had never felt so much relief, nor as much hate, as she did when she heard a new voice, coming from behind the police official. "Now Light," Ryuzaki said gently. "Let's think this through. She needs a hospital for God's sake, not a jail!" he shouted before walking over to Misa.

"But Ryuzaki-_sama_…" Light tried to intercede.

"Silence!" Ryuzaki snapped before looking pityingly at the girl. "Now, is there any way at all I can help you?"

Misa glared and spat at Ryuzaki. A few policemen tried to grab her, but Light held up a hand to stop them. If the head of the town wanted to help this girl, he knew there was nothing he could do to stop him. "Don't mock me," Misa said coldly. "You were the one that let your foreman fire me! This is _your _fault! My daughter is going to die, and it's _your _fault!" she felt warm tears begin to slide down her face. "And here you talk of God! If God is out there, he would let _me _die! Not her!" she screamed in agony.

Ryuzaki took a deep breath before speaking again. "Where is your daughter?" he asked gently. "I will personally see to it that no harm will come to her."

"Kyoto," Misa answered after contemplating the statement. "She lives with an innkeeper and his family."

"Kyoto," Ryuzaki repeated before turning back to face Light. "Take this woman to the hospital," he said. "Now!" he added.

Light sighed in frustration before doing as he was told. He took one last look at Ryuzaki before carrying Misa off toward the hospital. He looked so familiar to the inspector… He was certain he had seen him before. Little did he know that soon his suspicion would be confirmed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Who Am I?**

After Misa had been taken to the hospital, Ryuzaki had returned to his office in the factory that he ran. Surprise was written on his features when he saw Light Yagami standing by the door, but was quickly masked. "May I help you, Light-_kun_?" he asked as he took a seat at his desk.

"Forgive me," Light began as he looked over at the raven haired man. "But you remind me of someone… He was in some chain-gang that I was put in charged of. Broke his parole. I've been hunting him down for quite some time," the brunette admitted.

L frowned when he heard that. _Could he have figured it out? No… No, that's impossible… _"Is that so?" he asked. "I've been told that I resemble a few people," he added almost too quickly. Almost.

Light shrugged off his previous comment. "But it doesn't matter anymore," he said as he pulled out a letter. A smile full of revenge crossed his face. "Because they've found him. After so many years on the run, he's finally been caught."

L's frown deepened when he heard that. _No, he's got the wrong man, _he thought as he made eye contact with Light. _But I can't tell him that…_

"And finally, justice will be delivered. We will be trying him and sending him back to the mines tonight," Light said. He tried to contain the glee trying to creep into his voice. "And I thought you should be made aware of the situation," he added before heading to the door. He didn't want to have his little celebration in front of the most respected man in the city. He took one last look back at L before leaving. _But he really does look like L Lawliet…_

L watched the door close in a state of complete and total shock. "He thought that man was me," he said to himself, glad to be alone. He quickly gathered his things and left the building, heading for his home. Many thoughts were running through his head.

After so long, he was free. He was more than free. He was respected, looked up to, wealthy… He didn't have to worry about a thing other than being found out. But if they arrested that man, he would have nothing to worry about again. Except for his conscience. If he spoke up, he was sure to be sent back to the mines. But if he remained silent, he was surely damned.

But he couldn't speak up. No, too many people relied on him. If he were to be imprisoned again… They would have no hope. It was a poor community to begin with. And without him, there was no factory. And with no factory, there were no jobs. And with no jobs, there would be no money. No money meant no food. No food meant death… If he were to speak up, they would all suffer. But if he were to stay silent, his soul would suffer eternally.

He couldn't go through with it. The man that Light had found had done no wrong. He would _never _be able to face himself again. He couldn't live with the guilt of knowing that he had sent an innocent man to suffer in his place. Those nineteen years had been hell enough for him, and he had been guilty. He couldn't begin to imagine the horror, the confusion, the agony of an innocent man being forced into that kind of labor when that man had done absolutely nothing wrong.

"Who am I?" L asked himself as he stared into the mirror hanging in his bedroom. "What am I?" he sighed before shaking his head. As quickly as he could, he grabbed his travel bag and filled it with things he knew he would need to start a new life after he made his confession. He threw in clothes, money, some valuables, and even some food. He had made a promise that if something were to happen to the woman he had had sent to the hospital, he would care for her daughter. It was a promise he intended to keep, no matter the cost.

With a heavy heart, L gathered his bag and left his home for the last time. He knew he could never return after admitting what he was about to admit. He slowly made his way to the courthouse, dreading every moment that was sure to pass.

"Stop!" he shouted when he saw the trial about to conclude. Light, who had been conducting the interrogation, turned to face L with a confused expression. He wondered what in God's name the mayor was doing.

"What are you doing, Ryuzaki-_sama?_" Light asked. To say he was confused would be a huge understatement.

L took a deep breath before speaking again. "That man there isn't L Lawliet," he said, keeping his voice as calm and even as he could. Light frowned when he heard that. He had been so certain… "I am."

The judge stood when he heard that. "Ryuzaki-_sama,_" he began. "You must be ill."

"I'm not ill!" L shouted at the judge, who was taken aback by the sudden outburst. "Yagami, that man there is as innocent as you are."

Light leaned over to the judge and spoke lowly. "Take him to the hospital. He isn't in the right mind." Still though, he couldn't help but be curious.

The judge nodded and motioned for L to be escorted out.

L struggled against the men trying to take him to the establishment. He shouted out his prisoner number, knowing Light would have had it memorized. But as he was taken away to be cared for medically, though he knew he wasn't ill, he wondered how he was going to manage to get away. After all, he couldn't help Misa's child if he were locked up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Misa's Death / The Confrontation**

Misa lay in her hospital bed. She could feel the life slowly draining from her as she watched the sun begin to set through the window in the room. She shivered as a cold burst of air came through the room signaling that another had been brought to the hospital.

Misa could have sworn she saw Sayu standing at her bedside. Though part of her mind knew that it wasn't possible, the other part wanted to believe her daughter was there. "Come here, Sayu," she said gently as she carefully sat up, coughing heavily as she did so. "You should be in bed," she scolded. "It's late…"

The blonde woman looked around when she heard the howling of the wind disturbing the once eerie silence. "Come," she said to the hallucination. "And I'll sing to you until you fall asleep, and then in the morning I'll wake you up, and we'll go home…" Misa was so busy talking to the child that wasn't there that she hadn't heard someone walk to her bedside.

L took Misa's hand in his as gently as he could. "We're running out of time, Misa," he said sadly. And he knew it was true. Light was sure to be there for him at any moment. And Misa… Misa would be lucky to make it through the night. He had been told by the doctor at the hospital that she was in the later stages of tuberculosis, which was almost, if not always, deadly. He pitied her. He really did.

"Do you see them, Ryuzaki-_san_?" Misa asked as she stared back out to where she thought her daughter was. "They're playing," she smiled slightly as she watched them.

L sighed and shook his head. "Be at peace," he said softly as he looked down at the dying woman.

"Sayu…" Misa said, though she made it sound more like a question. It was as though she was asking what would become of her daughter after she had passed.

"I will take care of her," L promised as he tightened his grip on Misa's hand. "Anything she wants will be hers." He would be sure to take good care of the woman's child. He had never had one, and truth be told, he did want children. Though he never dreamed this would be the situation in which he would receive one.

Misa looked up at L. Admiration and gratitude shown in her brown eyes. "You are an angel, Ryuzaki-_san_," she said. Words could not to begin to describe how grateful she was that L would make sure her daughter was safe.

"And no one will ever hurt her," L promised. He would take any precautions necessary to see to it that no harm would ever come to Sayu. "I assure you that Sayu is in good hands."

"Tell her that I love her," Misa said as she felt her time drawing near. "And tell her… That I will see her soon," she concluded. Through the statement, her words got softer and farther apart until her body fell limp, eyes still staring up at L.

L closed his eyes in respect for the dead woman before gently closing her eyes. "Rest," he said to the corpse.

"How touching," the voice of Light Yagami said from the doorway to the room. He had sneaked in shortly before Misa had died. "You became the mayor," he shook his head in disbelief. "And you had everyone fooled." He drew the sword that remained a part of his uniform.

L tensed when he heard the oh-so-familiar voice before turning to face the man hell bent on bringing him back to the mines. "Before you say _anything, _Light…" he began threateningly just as the inspector moved to attack him. L grabbed a broken wooden support to defend himself. "I need to help Misa's child. I promised I would get her to safety."

"And just why should I believe you?" Light demanded as he moved to attack again, only to be blocked once again. "You're the scum of the earth!"

"Light, please," L found himself near begging. He was a lot of things, but a liar was not one of them. He would always keep his word. That was one of the few things a person could be certain of when dealing with him. "Three days. And I _swear _I'll return." Well, he told the truth most of the time, at least.

"And that I don't believe," Light said simply. "I know your type," he sneered.

"And what type is that, exactly?" L demanded as his back hit the windowsill. He looked down to see a body of water below. _Only two stories up…_

"The criminal type," Light answered as he boxed L in. "Fact of the day, L, I was born in a jail," he continued speaking. "I'm from the gutter just like you. But I chose the side of God, not the side of Satan!"

"Perhaps," L replied before leaning back, nearly falling out of the window. "But perhaps not," he smirked before falling backwards into the water. Fortunately neither the fall nor the water had killed or injured him. He did not surface, however, until he knew he was a good distance away. For the moment, he was away from Light. He only had one problem to worry about for the time being, getting Sayu.


	6. Chapter 6

**So this was actually one of my favorite chapters to write.**

**Chapter Six**

**Master of the House**

In the region of Kyoto, there was an inn. It was run by a man by the name of Beyond Birthday and his wife known simply as Alternate. Alternate and Beyond, more commonly known as A and B, had a son. Their son went by the name of Near. They had also taken in Misa's child, Sayu, though it was for a price.

Sayu was treated horribly in the home. She was constantly berated, near starved, and worked as hard as a little girl could be worked. But she knew life wasn't always like this for her. And she had frequently had dreams regarding that life. She did not entirely remember her mother, just bits and pieces really. As she was sweeping the floor for the umpteenth time that day, she began to daydream.

"Sayu!" Alternate screamed at the girl when she caught her slacking off. A was not a kind woman at all. She was cruel, vindictive, and above all, selfish. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" she demanded. "I swear to God we should never have agreed to let you live with us!" she continued to shout. She hadn't wanted to take Sayu in the first place. But Beyond did. And Beyond knew a good opportunity for money when he saw one. He knew they could have her fake a few illnesses and get plenty of money from Misa. "How stupid!" Suddenly, she got an idea. She threw a wooden bucket at the girl. "Go make yourself useful and draw some water!"

Sayu shuddered as she picked up the bucket. She hated being sent out on her own, a fact that A was well aware of. "Please don't make me go," she said softly, but A had been momentarily distracted when Near walked through the door.

Near was not treated even the slightest bit like Sayu. No, he was spoiled and handed everything he wanted on a silver platter. "There you are, my darling!" A gushed as she pulled her son into a tight hug. "So well behaved unlike _some _children living here," she turned to glare at Sayu. "Are you still there?" she demanded. "I told you to draw water! And I do _not _ask twice, Sayu!"

Sayu stood for only a moment longer before rushing out the door.

"Now then sweetheart," A said to Near. "Mommy needs to go wake your father," she continued as she stood back up. She walked over to the sleeping B and kicked him hard in the side. "Wake up, you lay about!" she snapped. "We're opening!"

B groaned, but begrudgingly sat up nonetheless. "I love you," he muttered before rising to his feet. He walked over to the door and flipped the open sign over so that it was visible from the street. "Ready to make some money?" he asked his wife with an evil grin.

"Of course," A answered with a false smile.

"Customer number one," B smirked when he saw a man walk into the inn. "Watch and learn, boy," he said to Near before walking over to the customer. "Welcome," he said with a smile. He shook the man's hand, discreetly pulling a ring off as he did so. "Why don't you have a seat?" Beyond asked as he led the man over to a table. "And thank you for choosing our inn. After all, it is the best," he was clearly going for the charm appeal. "No, we aren't like the crooks that run the other places," he added, carefully removing the customer's expensive looking top hat and discreetly passing it to his wife. "I assure you sir, there is _no one _more honest than me."

"It's true, you know!" another patron said from across the room. "Nobody can lay a finger on B's inn! Best in the area, if not the whole country!"

"That's the alcohol talking there," the person sitting next to the man said with a laugh. "Jesus knows he's as sneaky as they come!"

"Now why would you say such a thing?" B questioned as he walked over to one of the female residents. "Everyone loves me!" He wrapped his arm around her, carefully removing various articles of jewelry as he did. He mentally cursed himself when she felt him trying to remove her necklace. He quickly glared at a man standing nearby. "Can you believe such scum?" he asked the woman before walking away, dropping the jewels into a special container as he did so.

"B! Get your lazy ass over here!" A shouted from the kitchen. "Our guests are hungry, you worthless lay about!"

"Coming dear!" B replied before making his way over to the kitchen. "Let's see… Cheap but believable…" he looked around the less than sanitary kitchen. "Meh, this will work," he shrugged as he started putting random things into the mincer. "Now remember Near," he said to his son, who seemed disgusted at what B was concocting. "If it's cheap and you can lie well enough, they'll still love it."

After selling the food for the morning, B went to assist some of the patrons seeking to check out. He dragged Near along with him. "Watch and learn," he said quietly to the young boy. "I'll teach you how to fix some prices."

The young couple sitting across from him slid B the money owed for the number of nights they stayed. "I believe this is what we agreed on?"

"Yes indeed," B said but looked grim. "But I'm afraid you've had some incidental charges…" he pulled a chart out from the drawer in his desk. "That'll be extra for the mice we found in your room, the mice in your hair… Your wife looked in the mirror more than once, so that's an extra two percent… And let's not forget sleeping with the window shut, which is another three percent," he motioned for the man to pay up.

"I say you're the crook," the man muttered, but slid the amount to the keeper ever since. "Very good, sir. Come again." He leaned down to whisper into Near's ear. "I swear to God, Near, these are the sorriest lowlifes you'll ever see."

"Daddy, what's mommy doing?" Near asked as he looked across the room at A, who was sitting on one of the single patron's laps.

"I always had such… High expectations," Alternate said with a sigh as she reached behind the man's neck, pulling his glasses off as she did so. "And being the _stupid _girl I was, thought I would be the next empress of Japan…" she trailed off as she looked over at her husband. "But Buddha above, have you seen the scum I got stuck with?" she kicked the man's bag under the table and into a slot they had installed for such occasions.

Beyond Birthday frowned and began to walk over to the two. He shook his head when he heard A continue to speak. "Let me let you in on a little secret," she said to the man. She was admittedly very good at distracting people while they stole from them. And she kept very close to the truth when she lied. "Beyond isn't worth my spit," she said softly.

"A…" B said warningly as he continued to walk over to her. However, he was cut off by a sudden barricade of guests.

"How do I begin to describe him?" the landlady sighed as she looked over at B and winked. "Comforter, philosopher… And lifelong shit," she continued before slipping her hand into the man's pocket, pulling out a very expensive looking watch as she did so. "Thinks he's _so _smart, that one does…"

B shook his head more obviously. He knew she was only insulting him to get what she wanted from the customer, but even he had to draw the line somewhere. Especially with what she said next. "Thinks he's quite the lover, he does," A said dreamily. "I don't have the heart to tell him that there really isn't much there…" B turned bright red as he noticed the various customers looking down at his pants.

"Can you imagine what must have gone wrong for me to end up here?" A asked before standing up. She had finished stripping the man of his valuables. "Who knows how I've lasted living with this bastard in the house?" she questioned before running over to B. "Got a lot from him," she whispered.

"Yeah, you better have," B whispered furiously.

"A toast to the landlord!" one of their regulars shouted as he stood up on a barstool. "Raise a glass, everybody!"

"Ha!" A scoffed before being helped onto another barstool. "Raise it up the master's ass."

B glared at his wife for a moment longer before hearing someone walk into the inn. It was a man with unruly raven black hair, not unlike his own, panda eyes, deathly pale skin, and a definite curve to his spine, standing directly next to Sayu.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the short chapter, but I felt it needed to be separate from the rest. Also note that after this chapter, there will be a ten year time skip.  
**

**Chapter Seven**

**A and BB Waltz of Treachery**

L glared at the man known as BB who ran the inn and was, supposedly, Sayu's caretaker in place of Fantine. L was disgusted with both A and BB. He had found the girl wandering in the dark, scared out of her mind. "I would like to be Sayu's new caretaker," he stated immediately. He didn't want to bother with formalities and small talk. He had always preferred to get directly to the point. And it didn't help that he knew Yagami was hot on his trail.

"Is that so?" BB questioned. He quickly gestured for Sayu to come to him. The girl shook her head furiously, but ran over as soon as BB made a threatening face, though of course he made certain that L didn't see. "Now what to do about that…" he thought aloud as he held Sayu close. He looked over at A with a knowing glance, knowing they could make a small fortune from this. The man, who looked much like himself, appeared to be _very _wealthy.

"I'll make it worth your while," L offered. He had already pulled out his wallet. He had a feeling that they would agree to put Sayu in his protection… For the right price. That sickened him even more than the thought of her running through the woods alone had.

"Now let's not haggle for our dear Sai…" BB began, but A had cut him off.

"Sayu!" A corrected furiously. There was no way in hell the mystery man would believe them if her sorry excuse for a husband couldn't even remember the damn kid's name!

"Sayu," BB corrected whilst shooting a death glare at his wife. "And especially now that dear Misa has passed on…" he trailed off, trying to add dramatic effect. "And after we've loved her, cared for her, why we've treated her just as we've treated our own!" he lied flawlessly. It was one of his many talents.

L sighed in frustration and pulled out another bill. He hated that he was, for all intents and purposes, buying the child. But he had made a commitment, and come hell or high water, he was going to go through with it. "And I commend you for that," he said evenly, trying not to show his annoyance. "But I believe this will do," he smiled.

A glanced over at BB before pulling Sayu away from him and holding her close. "Now, now, on normal circumstances," she began as she gently stroked Sayu's hair. "That would be quite substantial…" she continued. She nodded toward BB, who discreetly started coughing. "If she hadn't been so sick all of the time. Medication doesn't run cheap," she pointed out.

"And one other thing," A and BB said in unison. "How do we know you're doing this for the right purposes?!" they demanded.

"I assure you I want nothing more than the safety of this child," L said calmly. "Fifteen hundred," he said as he handed the amount to the innkeeper and his wife. "And that's that. Come, Sayu," he said gently as he took the girl's hand. "You'll have a much better home now," he promised.

Sayu, for once in her life, actually looked hopeful. "But what happened to my mother?" she asked innocently. She hadn't heard much, other than she wouldn't be seeing her ever again.

L knelt down so that he was on her level and spoke gently. "Your mother is with God," he said softly. "She's asked for me to take care of you in her place."

"So you'll be like a father to me?" Sayu asked, eyes gleaming with happiness.

L actually smiled at that notion. "Of course," he said before standing back up. "Now we must be on our way."

"Where are we going?"

"Tokyo."

Little did L know that Light Yagami had arrived at the inn just after him. "Where is Sayu?" he asked A and BB.

The innkeeper and his wife looked at each other and grinned wickedly. "A man came," BB said while staring intently at the floor. "Took her with her. Didn't leave a name or an address."

Light cursed before riding in the night, hell bent on finding the pair. But unbeknownst to him, it would be years before their paths crossed again.


End file.
